What is Kings in the Corners?
Kings in the Corners is a solitaire adaptation of the multiplayer card game of the same name. Cards are dealt to four central piles arranged in a cross pattern, with four corner positions available for King-headed sequences. Tableau piles build downward in alternating colors (like Klondike), and sequences can be moved between piles. Kings — and sequences starting with Kings — can be placed in the corner positions to open new building opportunities. The goal is to empty the stock and clear all tableau piles.
Full rules
One 52-card deck. Four face-up cards are dealt to the four central cross positions. Four corner positions start empty and accept only King-headed sequences. Draw from stock; each drawn card can be placed on any tableau pile (if the rank and color match descending alternating-color sequence) or used to start or extend a corner sequence.
A sequence on a central pile can be moved to a corner (if it starts with a King), or a partial sequence on one pile can be moved to another pile where it fits. Win when the stock is exhausted and all cards are stacked in legal sequences.
Corner positions: the key mechanic
The four corner positions are what make Kings in the Corners distinctive. A King placed in a corner starts a new downward alternating-color sequence that can grow independently of the four central piles. Moving a sequence to a corner can free a central position — temporarily or permanently — and create room for other cards.
King timing is the primary strategic lever: placed too early, a King anchors an incomplete sequence that may not be immediately useful. Placed when an almost-complete sequence can follow it into the corner, it unlocks significant board space.
Read the Kings in the Corners strategy guide →
Stock management
Drawing from stock adds pressure — each drawn card either fits somewhere useful or must be placed somewhere suboptimal. Before drawing, scan all available tableau and corner positions for moves that would open better destinations for the next stock card. The goal is to minimize the number of cards placed in awkward positions that will later block useful sequences.
Related tableau games
- Klondike — same alternating-color sequences; seven columns; four foundations
- Yukon — group-move freedom; no stock; Klondike-style layout
Related games and reference